The invention concerns a radiation entry window for a radiation detector, in particular for a semiconductor detector, such as a semiconductor drift detector, a semiconductor pixel detector or a CCD detector (CCD: Charge-coupled device).
Detector modules are known from the art which are used for radiation measurement and can, for example, be used for X-ray spectroscopy or X-ray fluorescence analysis. Such conventional detector modules contain a semiconductor drift detector that is arranged hermetically sealed in a housing so that the detector module can also be operated in a protective gas atmosphere or under vacuum conditions. Here, the radiation to be detected enters the housing through a radiation entry window and then hits the semiconductor drift detector arranged within the housing. For the known detector modules of the type as described above, the radiation entry window is made of beryllium or a silicon lattice with a polymer film.
Such conventional radiation entry windows have various disadvantages, however. On the one hand, such conventional radiation entry windows are very elaborate in their production. They are individually manufactured manually piece by piece, and thus not open to the modern process methods of series production. On the other hand, there are occasional problems with such radiation entry windows with regard to gas tightness, which may lead to damages or a deterioration of the detector properties particularly when operating in bad environmental conditions (e.g. humidity).
From JP 09 021 700 AA a radiation window for an infrared sensor is known, with the radiation entry window showing a window frame made of a resin.
Reference is also made to DE 203 21 061 U1, DE 10 2005 046 164 A1 and JP 2002 36 5370 AA concerning the prior art.
Finally, the prior art also comprises JP 06.289.145 AA. This patent application discloses a radiation entry window for X-ray radiation with a window frame made of metal.
The object of the invention is therefore to create a correspondingly improved radiation entry window. Within the scope of the invention, it is particularly desirable that the radiation entry window may be manufactured as professionally as possible with modern process methods and is as thin and gas-tight as possible.
This object is achieved by means of a radiation entry window according to the invention.